


Mother's Day

by writersblock101



Series: "Why Couldn't I Have Been an Only Child?" [8]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Death, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Grieving, Hurt, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Mentions of Death, Mother's Day, Sad dick, definitely didn't cry while writing this, sad Jason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:13:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24116341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writersblock101/pseuds/writersblock101
Summary: In a house full of orphans, Mother's Day hits especially hard.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd
Series: "Why Couldn't I Have Been an Only Child?" [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1664611
Comments: 7
Kudos: 102





	Mother's Day

Jason stares at the grave, knowing the coffin buried underground is empty. 

“Hey,” A voice says behind him. 

Jason turns to see Dick. 

“Hey,” He says quietly, toying with the grass. 

“You okay?” Dick asks, sitting down next to Jason. 

“Am I stupid?” Jason frowns, not looking at Dick. 

Dick chuckles. 

“I mean, you did ask me why the summer Olympics were going on in February.” 

“I’m being serious, Dick.” 

Dick frowns and glances at the grave. 

“Why would you be stupid?” 

Jason laughs humorlessly. 

“Oh, I don’t know. Because it’s Mother’s Day and I’m sitting in front of a grave for a woman who sold me out to a deranged clown that murdered me?” 

Jason sighs, his shoulders slumping. 

“You know” He begins. “B was pissed when I first asked for a grave for Shelia. It was just another reason for him to be on my shit list... At the end of the day, yeah, she gave birth to me, but she wasn’t my mom… Not really.” 

Dick frowns again, putting a hand on Jason’s shoulder. 

“Family isn’t black and white,” Dick says. “We’re a testament to that. Blood doesn’t mean anything. Whoever you chose to be your family is your family, no matter what.” 

Jason swallows, nodding his head. He refuses to look at Dick. 

“Is it…” He pauses, his voice thick. “Is it stupid to say I miss her? Even after everything?” Jason waves his hand in a vague gesture. 

“No,” Dick answers instantly. 

“I guess I don’t  _ really  _ miss her…” Jason frowns. “I didn’t know her… I guess I miss what she could’ve been…” 

He laughs waterly, his eyes welling. 

“Man, I really drew the shit cards for moms, huh? One that didn’t want me, another that wanted a hit more than me,” He knots his fingers into his hair. “I shouldn’t care about either one of them. I know I shouldn’t. I have every right not to, but... “ Jason sighs again. “Am I really that awful?” He asks quietly.

“Wing,” Dick frowns, pulling his arm over Jason’s shoulder, forcing him into a side hug. “No, you’re not awful. You’re passionate and caring. You love with your whole heart, and nothing less. There is absolutely nothing awful about you.” 

Jason takes a shuttering breath, leaning heavily against Dick. 

“Do you think it ever gets any easier?” Jason asks quietly. 

Dick stares at Shelia’s headstone. He’s wondered that question a lot himself, especially when the death of his parents was fresh in his mind. Some days are better than others. 

“No,” Dick says slowly. “I think eventually, it will hurt less frequently, but the pain will always be there. As hard as Alfred and B try, they can’t replace a mom... No one can.” 

Despite all the anger that Jason wears as his armor, underneath that passion and fury, there’s a lonely child that just wants to be loved. He’s been rejected from the day he was born, but his search for love has never ended. He wants to find someone who loves him with no strings attached. 

Dick knows that why Jason went to Ethiopia and went with Shelia. He knows why Bruce found Shelia untied in that room with his son’s corpse. As hard as Jason fights it, he so badly desires to be loved. But he’s been taught that the desire for love is a weakness, something that will be exploited. 

In this moment, Dick knows there is nothing comforting he can say to Jason. While Mother’s Day is a rough day in the Wayne Manor, all of them have a mother to mourn that truly cared about them, one way or another. Jason never got that. There was always something that took priority over Jason. 

Like Dick said, no one can replace a mom, but the best thing he can do is sit with his brother and hold him like his mom would. 


End file.
